May 1991
The Belles
Reporter Gains Insight into Public TV
nnw intorwioiA# «iihifir.t I ask Camille how a non-prc
By Donna King
As I approach down the long,
winding driveway, the bright-white
angular, modern architecture of
the office building is striking,
almost blinding. The grounds are
perfectly manicured and, high
above, the American flag and the
North Carolina flag flap in the
breeze. The glass revolving doors
turn and I am standing in an enor
mous lobby with the same strikirig
architecture. The walls are a bril
liant white and the carpet is dark
green. There is a balcony over
looking the lobby, where people
are hustling back and forth, trying
to do their jobs. In the corner,
next to the reception desk, is a
life-size cut-out of Big Bird, which
seems so out of place in this
modern, professional building.
But then I realize that Big Bird
belongs here. This is the North
Carolina Center for Public
Television, better known as
Channel Four.
“Can I help you?” asks a friend
ly voice from behind the huge
desk. I tell her who I am here to
See, and she tells me to wait.
While I am waiting, I cannot help
but notice other decorations in the
lobby. Next to Big Bird is an old-
lashioned TV camera. There is
also a big-screen TV (tuned in to
Channel Four, of course!) At the
far end of the lobby there is a
ourious collection of papier-
oiache heads of all shapes and
colors. As I start to get interested
in these, my interview subject
appears. She is Camille
Patterson, a large, friendly
woman with red hair, large glass
es, and a booming voice. She
introduces herself and suggested
that we talk in the studio.
The studio is set up for filming
with the sets of several shows
already in place in different cor
ners of the room. We sit down on
the set of Stateline, a popular
show that explores the issues fac
ing North Carolinians. She is
apparently rather long-winded: I
ask her one small question, and
she gives me a thoughtful and
information-packed answer.
Camille explains to me how the
PBS system works, it is unlike
any other network, not only in that
it is non-profit, but also in how its
shows are produced. The main
PBS does not produce any
shows. Instead, the affiliates, like
NCPTV, produce their own shows
and sell some of them to the net
work so that the network can sell
them to other affiliates. The sta
tion also buys most of its pro-
qramming from the network.
NCPTV (its call letters are
WUNC), produces approximately
25% of its programming. “That is
what makes us different froni
other stations in the area,
Camille says. “We do all of our
qraphics, advertising, program
scheduling, audience analysis,
and much of our broadcasting
right here in the building.”
Students Share Favorite Restaurants
By Kathryn McRee
The Belies recently asked a
Saint Mary’s students to
lame their favorite restaurant in
^be Raleigh area. So when the
^6al served at the dining hall
not turn out to be delicious
^ you had hoped, here are some
'asty alternatives:
Lea Baker-The Melting Pot
Robin Bullard—42nd Street
^ster Bar
. Traci Campell-Bojangles (spicy
fries)
Elizabeth Daniels—42nd Street
Lister Bar
Blake Dawloam-Crossroads
Amy Duvall-Rockola Cafe
Debbie Goldstone-T.K.Tripps
Shannon Holbrook-Top of the
'OWer
f^ate Mays-Darryl’s
Carney McDonald-Angus Barn
Allison Morgan-Crowley’s
B Barbara Shackleford-Angus
Barn
, 'Jennifer Garrison-Mountain
Jack’s
l^ichelle Smith-Bojangles
Lindsay Luxton-Bojangles
free Parker-The Melting Pot
l^srgaret Rakes-Burger King
Tiffany Cashwell-Bojangles
fforedith Johnson-Bojangles
Jolie Musgrave-Bojangles
Allison Sedwick-Red Lobster
Ashton Lowe-Crossroads
f >na Cavallaro-Kanki
j^Melissa lnscoe-42nd Street
^ster Bar
Amy Moore-Bo’s
Holleigh McLaurin-Bennigans
Jill Bullock-Crossroads
Susan Stone-Bruegers Bagel
Bakery ^ ,
Ellie Jarman-Winston s
2nd City Grill
continued from page 4 _. . .
imported bottled beer. This is
something which you cannot ^
with your meal at a fast-food
™ thing that I like about 2nd
Citv Grill is that it is close to
where I live, it has a great menu
it is affordable, and it is quick and
easy Rick Peery reminded me^
Sours. He said, ’We are now
“e^ing breakfast and we are
very excited about that. He toia
me^hat I needed to come ba
soon and try the new br^kfasL
really wnnot wait. I thanked
f d LSaV I was leaving, and
he reminded m o ^ ^
[r^^lhaH would look forward to
as well- So if you
eating th tastv meal, in a
want a gfion that is close
j’o^TorTrranTcity Grill m
Cameron Village.
I ask Camille how a non-profit
station gets money, because they
have no commercials. “Well,
there is always a financial strug
gle,” she said. “But we are just
coming out of Festival, where we
raise about one million of our $9
million-a-year budget. The rest
comes from private sponsors,
federal grants, and state funds.
That is why it is so important to
have a good lobbyist representing
us in the state legislature,” she
adds with a note of seriousness.
My next question, regarding
the purposes of public television,
is one which she is more than
happy to answer. She is very
earnest and everything she says
sounds like a brochure for Public
Television. “We want to provided
quality programming that will
stimulate thought and action
among all ages, as well as enter
tain, all ages,” Camille says
proudly. PBS was founded in
1969 on these principles, and
now has 337 stations affiliated
with it. “We want to remain differ
ent from other stations, and pro
vide the public with programs that
they cannot get anywhere else,
such as Sesame Street, the how
to’s, the adult continuing-educa
tion classroom programs, and the
nature and environmental aware
ness programs,” she adds.
Our interview is cut short by a
frantic assistant saying that they
are having satellite problems.
Camille apologizes and heads off
Pages
in the direction of her office. On
her way out of the studio, she
almost runs over a life-size
Grover giving a group of school
kids a tour of the station.
Whoever is in that Grover cos
tume does not look happy. There
are kids clinging to all of his
appendages, and his Grover
voice seems to be going hoarse.
“Well, boys and girls, here we are
in the studio. This is where we
film TV shows, such as Sesame
Street.” The kids are talking and
yelling so much that they do not
even hear him. I try to sneak out
past them, but as I pass through
the studio door, Grover says, in a
deep, masculine voice, “Ya
wanna sticker?” He hands me a
sticker with Bert and Ernie on it. I
smile, tell him thank you and start
down the hall towards the lobby.
As I walk, I can here the kids
behind me screaming that they
want stickers also. I decide that
being Grover is one job that I
would rather not have.
Leaving, I feel as though I
understand Public Television a bit
more. It is not just boring opera
performances or pictures of
giraffes. It is an effort to bring
educational programs of quality to
a medium that is in desperate
need of substance, it can never
succeed without public financial
support. Perhaps people will real
ize this and help keep quality pro
gramming on the air.
Father-Paughter Weekend
Blake Dawbarn, Lisa Martin, Lea Baker, anddadr